GYOZO MIHAILICH
1877-1966
Born a century ago, Professor Dr. Gyozo Mihailich, member of the Hun- garian Academy of Sciences, Kossuth Prize winner, retired two decades ago, after 58 years spent working on reinforced concrete construction. For 37 years he was head of the Department of Bridge Construction II at the Technical University, Budapest.
His multifaceted, outstanding personality comes to light when we look at his list of achievements in educational and scientific activity, engineering works, participation in public life. His eminent engineering abilities, unique sense of creation are seen by the excellent design, at the age of 30, of the Liget- street bridge in Temesvar - Podul Traian in Timisoara - the world's largest rcinforced concrete beam bridge at that time with its 38.42 m middle span.
(Originality of the construction is seen e.g. by the book of Academician G. P.
Pcredery, published in Moscow, 1951, referring to this bridge not as a monu- ment to construction history but as a practical example.) The versatility of Gyozo Mihailich is proven by the fact that soon after this world-"wide acclaimed work of reinforced concrete, he is seen engaged in the design of steel trusses for the road bridge over the Tisza River at Szolnok.
His unmatched inventiveness made him responsible for a score of engi- neering structures. At the same time it can be stated that his life was spent in forwarding education and research in the field of reinforced concrete, and his name is credited ,vith the introduction and development of this subject at the University. His lectures united knowledge of materials, their properties, the theory of structures, and construction. His books, textbooks and lectures re- flect the principles of complex education.
He soon recognized education and construction to be doomed to failure
1Vithout research. This is why he strived to create the first research station for
reinforced concrete construction in Hungary, i.e. the Laboratory of Concrete
and Reinforced Concrete Construction of this University, directed and encouraged
by him from 1931 to 1957. Another of his ideas is of no less actuality, namely that
engineering education must not end with the university curriculum. Since the
mid-thirties he urged to establish the Institute of Post-Graduate Engineering
Education, becoming its first director. Later he himself was responsible for
further developing the institute.
114 MIHAILICH
Because of his rich experience in public life and attractive human quali- ties, he held several high positions at the University and in scientific life. His human qualitifs and helpfulness urged him, after W orld War n, to utilize his high positions in creating conditions for a new life, in realizing the material and intdlectual reconstruction.
Several generations of students have grown up under his direction. To hundreds of engineers he showed an example of devotion to one's profession, to the ser..-ice of engineering and social progress. Those who were students at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of this University during the first six decadf's of this century, are proud of having been his pupils. The Hungarian community of engineers and many ahroad have preserved the memory of his personality.
We still rememher his respect-commanding appearance, his deep voice, his char- acteristic "writing, his chef'rful humour and his friendly severity.
We, the lucky few to have been his co-"workers, not only his students, are especially bound by the memory of the K e;::tor of Hungarian reinforced concrete construction, education and research. His followers, staffs of the actual Depart- ments of Reinforced Concrete Structures and of Building Materials, must strive to follow his example to clearly tell apart correct from faulty in engineering; to recognize ",-hat is new, in advance of its time, to develop those learned from him, and to employ all this to for"ward technical and social progress according to his instruction.
This is the most worthy way to how our head before thc statue com- memorating Professor Gyozo Mihailich.
Prof. Dr. GEZA TASSI Department of Reinforced Concrete Structures
MAIL\" DATA OF CURRICULUM VITAE, ASSIGN:J-IENTS AND AWARDS OF GY. MlHAILlCH
1877. Born at Temesrekas (Recas).
1899. Graduated as Chil Engineer from the Royal J 6zsef Technical University, Budapest.
1899. Assistant to Professor A. Kherndl.
1903. Senior Assistant.
1906. Doctor's Degree in Gdl Engineering, Royal J6zsef Technical University, Budapest.
1906. Lecturer on "Reinforced Concrete Structures" and on "Steel and Reinforced Concrete Structures" (Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture) and on "Graphostatics a~d Steel Structures" (Department of Mechanical Engineering).
1909. Pnvatdocent. Lecturer on "Concrete Structures Reinforced bv Steel Skeleton".
1916. Associate Pr~fessor, Lecturer on "Bridge Construction I". • 1920. Full Professor and Head of the Department of Bridge Construction
n.
1922. Golden Award of the Hungarian Association of Civil "Engineers and Architects.
1928-30. Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture. Royal J6zsef Technical University, Budapest.
1931. Corresponding Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
1931. Head of Commission for Formulation of the Hungarian Reinforced Concrete Codes.
NIlHAILICH 115
1931. Silver Award of the Hungarian Association of Civil Engineers and Architects.
1938. Chairman of the Commission for Reinforced Concrete of the Hungarian Association of Civil En!!ineers and Architects.
1941. Deputy President of the National Council of Natural Sciences.
1941. Director of the Institute of Post-Graduate Engineering Education.
1942-43. Rector of the Royal Palatine J6zsef Technical and Economic University.
1945. Expert at the Commission for Reconstruction of the Danube Bridges.
19,1,7. Holder of Secondary Cross of the Order of Republic of Hungary.
1948. Golden Degree of Kossuth Prize.
1948. Ordinary Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
1948. Honorary Doctor of the Technical University, Budapest.
1948. Chairman of the Hungarian Group of the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering.
1949- 50. Rector of the Technical University, Budapest.
1949. Chairman of the Main Commission for Construction Science of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
1949-53. President of the Section of Technical Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
1950. Awarded the Order of the People's Republic, IIIrd Degree.
1953- 57. Honorary President of the Section of Technical Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
1954. Honorary Doctor of the Technical University, Dresden.
1957. Holder of the Red Flag Order of Labour.
1957. Retired (at the age of eighty).
1959. Awarded the Diamond Diploma of the Technical University of Building and Transport Engineering, Budapest.
1965. Awarded the Iron Diploma of the Technical University of Building and Transport Engineering, Budapest.
1966. Died in Budapest.
MAJOR DESIGNS BY GY. MIHAILICH 1. The Liget-street bridge in Temesvar (Timi~oara), 1908-1909.
2. Steel structure and reinforced concrete roadway structure of the Tisza-bridge at Szolnok, 1910-11.
3. Reinforced concrete bridge across the Sebes-Kiiriis at Berekbiisziirmeny, 1910-1911.
4. Steel and reinforced concrete structures of the water tower in Ujpest, 1911-12.
5. Reinforced concrete bridge across the Fekete-Kiiriis at Tamashida (Tamasda), 1912-1913.
6. Reinforced concrete hall of the Szolnok box factory, 1925.
7. Reinforced concrete structures of the coal-milling building of the Budapest Gas Works, 1925.
8. Reinforced concrete granary of 35,000 tons capacity in Csepel, 1927-1929.
9. Strengthening and widening of the Margit-bridge in Budapest, 1929-35.
10. Reinforced concrete main hall of the Zugl6 bus garage in Budapest, 1929-1930.
11. Steel structure of the Tisza-bridge at Polgar (heading), 1947-48.
12. Structures of the Tisza-bridge in Szeged, 1948.
MAIK PUBLICATIONS BY GY. MJHAILICH (Books in bold types)
1. lVlihailich, Gy.: A csom6pontok merev kiitese okozta mellekfesziiltsegek grafikus meg- hatarozasa. (Graphical determination of secondary stresses in rigid joints.) Doctor's Thesis, Budapest, 1906.
2. Mihailich, Gy.: Racsos tart6k rugalmas elhajlasanak meghataro~asa. (Determination of elastic deformations of trussed beams.) Magyar Merniik- es Epiteszegylet Kiizliinye, 1906.
3. lVlihailich, Gy.: Massziv hidak epitese Nemetorszagban. (Copstruction of concrete and stone masonry bridges in Germany.) Magyar Merniik- es Epiteszegylet Heti ertesitoje, 1908.
4. Mihailich, Gy.: Ujabb ko- es vasbetonhidak epitese. (Construction of recent stone masonry
116 MIHAILICH
and reinforced concrete bridges.) Magyar Mernok- es Epiteszegylet Heti Erteslt6je, 1909.
5. Mihailich, Gy.: A vasbeton tart6k grafikus meretezese. (Graphical design of reinforced concrete beams.) Magyar Mernok- es Epiteszegylet Heti Ertesit6je, 1909.
6. Mihailich, Gy.: Die Parkgassenbrucke in Temesvar. Beton und Eisen, 1909.
7. Jl.fihailich, Gy.: Konzolos vasbetonhidak epltese Magyarorszagon. (The con.struction of reinfOl:,ced concrete cantilever bridges in Hungary.) Magyar Mernok- es Eplteszegylet Heti Ertesltoje, 1910.
8. Mihailich, Gy.: A szolnoki kozuti Tisza-hid vasszerkezete. (The irO!! structure of the high- way bridge across the Tisza at Szolnok.) Magyar Mernok-
cs
Eplteszegylet Kozlonye, 1912.9. Mihaiijch, Gy.: Ujpest vlzmiivenek ylztornyar61. (On the water tower of the waterworks of Ujpest.) Magyar Mernok- es Eplteszegylet Kozlonye, 1913.
10. Mihailich, Gy.: Vasbetonszerkezetek. (Reinforced concrete structures.) Nemeth J., Budapest, 1922.
11. Mihailich, Gy.:
Ko-,
beton- es fahidak. Ahragyujtemeny. (Stone, concrete and timber bridges. Collection of projects.) Budapest, 1922.12. Mihailich, Gy.: Kherndl Antal emlekezete. (In memoriam Antal Kherndl.) Miiegyetemi beszedek, 1924.
13. Mihailich, Gy.: Der Getreidespeicher im Freihafen von Budapest. Beton und Eisen, 1929.
14. Jl,lihailich, Gy.: Die Halle der Autobusgarage in der J. Szab6 Strasse in Budapest. Die Bautechnik, 1931.
15. Mihailich, Gy.: Essais comparatifs avec poutre de beton
a
section en T avec armatures en acier siliceux et reduction des sections des armatures contre le cisaillement. AIPC Ier Congres, Paris, 1932.16. Mihailich, Gy.: Az adalekanyag nedvessegtartalma vaItozasanak es minosegenek befolyasa a betoura. (Effect of the yariatioJ? of the water content and quality of aggregate on concrete.) M~gyarorszag Utiigyi. Evkonyve, 1934.
17. Mihailich, Gy.: Osszehasonlit6 klserletek folytvasas es aceIbetetes, tovabba portlandcement- tel es bauxitcementtel kesziilt T keresztmetszetii gerendakkal. (Comparative experi- ments on T-beams reinforced with mild steel and high tensile steel using portland and alumina cement.) AnyagvizsgaI6k Kozlonye, 1934. 7-8.
18. l\lihailich, Gy.: A meleg befolyasa a bauxit cement beton szilardsagara. (The influence of temperature on the strength of alumina cement \.i0ncrete.) (Inaugural address at the Academy.) Matematikai es Termeszettudomanyi Erteslto, 1936.
19. 1vlihailich, Gy.-Schwertner, A.-Gyengo, T.: Vasbetonszerkezetek elmeIete es szamitasa.
(Theory and dimensioning of reinforced concrete structures.) ~ emeth J. Budapest 1946.
20. l'tlihailich, Gy.: A beton- es vasbetonepites iijabb fejlOdese. (Recent development of concrete and reinforced concrete construction.) l'tlernoki Tovabbkepzo Intezet, 1947.
21. Mihailich, Gy.: A vasbetonepltes ujabb fejlodese. Elorefeszitett es hejszerkezetek. (Recent development of reinforced concrete construction. Prestressed and shell structures.) A vasbeton, Magyar Epltomesterek Egyesiilete, 1947.
22. Mihailich, Gy.: Korszerii epitesi szerkezetek es eljarasok. (Up-to-date building structures and methods.) MTA Miisz. Osztaly Kozl., 1951.
23. l'tfihailich, Gy.: Untersuchung ungarischer Zemente in bezug anf Schwinden, Wirkung der Dampfbehandlung sowie in bezug auf die Oberflachen-Verbindung zwischen dem Beton und im denselben eingebetteten Stahldrahten. Acta Techn. Hung., 1952.
24. 1vlihailich, Gy. (after lectures by) - Tassi, G.-Telekes, Gy.-Szalai, K.-Juhasz, B.: Vas- betonepitestan 1. resz. (Reinforced concrete construction, Part 1.) Felsookt. Jegyzet- ellat6 V. 1955.
25. 1vfihailich, Gy. (after lectures by)-Tassi, G.-Szeremi, L.-Szalai, K.: Vasbetonepitestan 2. resz. (Reinforced concrete construction Part 2.) - Felsookt. Jegyzetellat6 V. 1956.
26. Mihailich, Gy.-Szalai K.: Vasbetonepitestan I. resz. (Reinforced concrete construction, Part 1.) Felsookt. Jegyzetellat6 V. 1957.
27. Mihailich, Gy.: A XIX. es
xx.
szazadbeli magyar hidepites tortenete. (History of the Hungarian bridge construction in the 19th and 20th centuries.) Akademiai Kiad6, Budapest 1961.28. Mihailich, Gy.-Palotas L.: Vasbetonepitestan. A vasbeton szi1ardsagtana. (Reinforced concrete construction. The theory of reinforced concrete.) Tankonyvkiad6, Budapest 1964.
29. Mihailich, Gy.-Haviar Gy.: A vasbetonepiteskezdete es elso IetesitmenyeiMagyarorszagon.
(The beginnings and first structures of reinforced concrete construction in Hungary.) Akademiai Kiad6, Budapest 1966.
